The Reader: Second vaccine dose delay leaves many in limbo

Getty Images
4 January 2021
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

The plan to postpone second vaccine jabs for more than 500,000 people who have already had first jabs is yet another case of this Government snatching shambles from the jaws of order.  

My wife and I had initial doses of the Pfizer vaccine in December and were given firm appointments for our second doses. Apparently those are now to be postponed for several weeks at the least.  

We and many others are being left in a limbo of not knowing whether they have reasonable immunity or not, and at some risk of infection and of taking up hospital beds, which is precisely what the policy of vaccinating the old first was supposed to avoid.  

The only sensible course is for the NHS to honour existing second-dose appointments to assure immunity in a sizable cohort of vulnerable people, and introduce the policy of first jab-only in respect of new cases.

Michael Johnson

Editor’s reply

Dear Michael

I have considerable sympathy with your plight but the fact is the situation has changed. With the faster-spreading variant, the priority switched from protecting those most at risk of death to protecting as many people as possible from infection. If Covid is likened to a flood, we now seek to tackle it upstream rather than allowing the waters to surround us as we place those most at risk on higher ground. The approach has been backed by the MHRA, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and the four UK chief medical officers.  

Ross Lydall, Health Editor

Schools need a better strategy

The announcement that certain schools are opening but others not highlights the lack of joined-up thinking in Government. It is a balancing act between children’s mental health, education and risks of taking the virus home. Opening universities was a fiasco, with students self-isolating many times.

Linda Evans

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in